Missing
by Doc Lee
Summary: Oliver loses someone very important to him. Set in Season 3 & mentioned some of the recently revealed spoilers, so be warned. Reviews welcome.
1. Chapter 1

Been fiddling with an idea recently to take my mind off my knackered body trying to hurt everywhere at once for no reason. This is something that came out of my musings. IIRC, EBR mentioned in a panel somewhere that she was working at a dog shelter when she landed the role... Set in Season 3 and incorporates some of the spoilers revealed recently, so...

BEHOLD! SPOILERS ABOUND BELOW!

...anyway, that should be enough of a warning. This is currently a two parter, but the second bit is only half done, and I may still re-do part 2 before posting. Hope you enjoy. Reviews welcome (and encouraged).

DISCLAIMER - The people that own Arrow are the people that own Arrow. I am not one of those people.

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><p>Wincing Oliver Queen gingerly shifted his still healing body in the large chair.<p>

'Oliver?' John Diggle moved from his spot leaning against the wall of the new conference room. Queen Consolidated was back under Oliver's control, Ray Palmer happily conceding his position of CEO for a much more desired role as the head of the Applied Sciences Department. Diggle's former job as Oliver's driver and bodyguard had been changed and he was now both the head of the entire Queen Consolidated and the Queen family's security departments

'Just moved a little too quickly, that's all,' Oliver placated the room. It had been a month of recovery, but he knew that his physical wounds would eventually heal and become another reminder of the long list of things he'd lost, 'I'll get Thea to check the bandages when we get back to the mansion.'

Thea...

Oliver's chest tightened painfully at the memories of finding her after Slade's attack on the city, the young woman staring emotionlessly behind the drawn bow, an arrow aimed at his chest. It had taken weeks of intense work by the team, and assisted by a now jobless Lyla, to bring his sister out of the brainwashing Malcolm had done to her. He gulped at the lump in his throat, the sound of her first utterance of his nickname echoing in his head.

Oliver clenched his fist under the table, his nails digging into his palm painfully as he tried to control the intense rush of emotions that assaulted him as his mind took him to the missing member of the team.

Felicity Smoak.

It was meant to have been a simple in and out job, but like everything else in his life, the mission in Paris had turned sour almost instantly. They'd only been held for less that 12 hours, but the gang of underground weapons smugglers had been painfully enthusiastic to try out some new torture techniques. He'd taken everything on himself, never allowing their captors to lay a finger on Felicity and Oliver's body would forever wear the scars.

The meeting drew on for longer than he could handle and the moment he could get away, he shut himself in his private bathroom. Gripping the sink, Oliver's eyes stared at the mirror before him, his mind not only replaying the mind numbingly horrendous events of his rescue, but putting an image of a smiling Felicity into the reflection. Glancing behind him, Oliver's chest restricted at the realisation that she wasn't there.

Diggle had appeared in the doorway to the room, Oliver's half conscious state registering the hands on him as being friendly. He had lifted him as effortlessly as he would eventually do with his newborn daughter, carrying him to the helipad where the heavily pregnant Lyla waited in a 'borrowed' helicopter.

Oliver's fingers turned white, the vein on his head throbbing dangerously. The horror that had washed over him when Lyla had asked about Felicity was incapacitating, something he'd not experienced since... Well, ever. The sheer panic in Diggle's voice had been something that woke him up in a cold sweat for many a night in the month since.

'They have a EMP device!' Felicity's voice suddenly cried over the radio, 'I can disarm it! Get Oliver to the nearest hospital and I'll find you guys soon!'

Despite the multitude of injuries on Oliver's body, it had been a struggle for Diggle to keep him in the helicopter as Lyla had taken off.

Felicity never found them.

* * *

><p>'We have the fundraiser to attend Oliver,' Diggle snapped his boss out of his silent thoughts, holding his tux out to Oliver, 'You need to put this on and meet me downstairs in ten minutes or Thea will have your head... And you know she has the ability to make that a literal statement now.'<p>

'I know,' Oliver grimaced. Taking the tux, he gave Diggle a small smile. The loss of Felicity had shaken them both to their foundations and they'd built a stronger friendship while they helped each other stand through their shared grief, 'Ten minutes.'

* * *

><p>'I see you're going for the playboy look tonight?' Thea greeted Oliver with a warm smile, her older brother leaving his shirt collar open and his bow tie hanging loose.<p>

'More like 'the slash on my neck is sore and spending hours squashing it under a tight collar is pain I could do without tonight' look ,' Oliver pressed his lips against his sister's cheek, relief flooding him that they had been able to repair the near demolished relationship.

'Either way,' Thea sighed, 'You look like hell. I can do this without you, it's not that hard to do.'

'She loves this cause,' Oliver's breathing became ragged, 'Finding homes for stray dogs is something she is passionate about and she would want to be here if she could.'

'Any word from Sara?' Thea's voice shrank, her own hurt lacing her words.

'Not for a week,' Oliver wrapped his better arm around his sister, mindful of her expensive dress, 'But the way she and Nyssa work, it's not surprising that they've gone dark.'

'Mr Queen!' a young man approached, oblivious to the private moment he was stomping over, 'It's so good to meet you and have you become a patron to this charity. I was unaware that you were a dog person?'

'I'm not to be honest,' Oliver shrugged slowly, 'But someone... Someone who meant... Means... A lot to me is passionate about this and...'

'You don't need to say any more sir,' the man's cheerful expression weakened slightly, 'I'm not sure how much you were told about the event tonight, but we have a small selection of finger foods laid out for the gathered guests to mingle around until the speeches are made with a live orchestra and singers afterwards for anyone brave enough to show off their dancing skills to do so.'

'I can't dance,' Oliver deadpanned, 'But I know my sister and her boyfriend will relish the opportunity to do so.'

* * *

><p>For a man that had undergone real honest to God torture, Oliver was silently cursing any deity that he could think of for making him attend this event. By the time it was his turn to give the speech Thea had written for him, Oliver had become thoroughly grumpy.<p>

'Smile Oliver,' Thea glared at him when his name was announced.

Smiling at his sister, Oliver turned and stepped to the podium, pulling out the prompt cards from his pocket.

'My sister spent two days writing my speech,' Oliver winced, holding up the cards, 'And I'm going to really annoy her by not using it,' a soft ripple of chuckles floated across the ballroom when Thea's bark of irritation rang out, 'Sorry.'

'I'm not an animal person,' Oliver spoke slowly, 'Never had the desire to own a dog or a cat when growing up and, well, certain events in my life over the last eight years have made owing a pet something of a pipe dream.'

'So I'm guessing you're all wondering why I'm standing here as the new Patron of the Starling City home for stray animals,' Oliver gulped, 'The reason is simple. Felicity Smoak.'

'You all know the events surrounding her disappearance,' Oliver's hand gripped the podium tightly at the mention of the cover story, 'But what you don't know is that she has an absolutely huge love for dogs. Some people go gaga over babies or cars, but Felicity just melts at the sight of a puppy.'

'It was so bad that I actually offered Joe Kutter,' Oliver motioned to the grinning older man sat with his wife at the side of the room, 'That I would personally pay the cost of new premises for his pet store as it sits between Queen Consolidated and Felicity's favourite coffee shop. I knew whenever Joe had received a new litter of puppies because Felicity's sixty minute lunch break,' Oliver's face broke into a sad smile, his eyes softening as he remembered, 'would become ninety or longer.'

Chuckles filled the room, the attendee's having grown silent as Oliver spoke.

'About a month and a half ago,' Oliver sighed deeply, 'I found Felicity staring at her precious computers with a horror struck look on her face. After I had calm down from the panic she'd caused me, I managed to get her to tell me what had her so affected. That lead to an hour of her regaling me with her adventures as a volunteer here.'

'She turned to me at one point and told me quite simply that I would be making a substantial donation to the home,' Oliver frowned as he felt the tension that had gripped his body for the last month start to melt away, the clamp around his chest loosening, 'Or... Or she'd make it in my... In my name.'

Oliver's hand shook as he took a gulp of the glass of water he'd had on the podium. Placing it back down, he froze, his eyes blinking slowly over the audience. Taking a deep breath, Oliver could swear that he could smell her mint body wash, the familiar sense of calm she created in him suddenly flooding his body and soul.

'Felicity...' Oliver found his voice thickening up around the sudden lump in his throat, 'Is... Missing. I don't know where she is or why she's not here with me, but I'm not going to stop searching until I find her. While I'm searching, I need to honour her and this is a damned good way of doing it. I'm going to give my accountant a heart attack with what I'm about to do, but I promise you tonight, whatever is raised for this charity, I will personally match it.'

* * *

><p>He wasn't sure exactly what happened after he stepped down from the podium, everyone wanting to speak to him after his speech, but Oliver eventually found himself standing alone on the small balcony overlooking Starling City, a simple tumbler of Jack Daniels resting on the stone wall that wrapped around the balcony's edge.<p>

'That's a wondrous thing you just did Oliver,' He scrunched his eyes closed as her voice echoed in his head.

'You would have loved it,' He opened his eyes , but refused to turn incase he was faced with another trick of his mind, 'I know how much you love your puppies.'

Oliver's eyes watered when he heard her soft giggle, 'I see you've picked up my little habit.'

'God Felicity,' Oliver trembled, 'Why can't I find you?'

'You don't need to Oliver,' Felicity's voice sighed, 'Just...'

'I damned well do need to!' Oliver thumped his fist on the stone, 'I need you Felicity, much more that I ever thought possible. I can't sleep, I'm barely eating. I almost killed a simple street burglar the other night,' Oliver downed the remainder of his glass in one gulp, 'And I'm drinking far too much of this shit, which is probably why I'm imagining your voice in my head.'

'Oliver...'

'Did you think about what it would do to us if we lost you Felicity?' Oliver stared at the city before him, 'About just how much we all need you in our ears keeping us sane?'

'Thea has Roy,' Oliver grunted, 'Diggle has Lyla and Meghan... Yes, they named their daughter after you. Sara has Nyssa, But i'm... Lost. You've become such a part of me that I don't know who I am without you beside me with your stunning smile and inappropriately hilarious gaffes. You made me into a hero, but I don't know if I can be that man without you.'

'Where are you Felicity?' Oliver's voice broke.

'Behind you.'


	2. Found

Whoa, I wasn't expecting such a response for this. Thank you to everyone that's reviewed, fav'ed and followed this. Hope the resolution is met with a similar response :)

Disclaimer - The people that own Arrow, are the people that own Arrow. I am not one of those people.

* * *

><p>'Behind you.'<p>

Oliver's face crumpled, his breathing rapid as he bit down on the rush of emotions those two words did to him.

'No you're not,' Oliver stuttered, shaking his head, 'You're just my screwed up head playing tricks on me again. I always knew losing you would mean I lose myself, but I never expected the hallucinations to be so vivid.'

'But...'

Oliver finally turned towards where his mind was telling him she was to find a battered and bruised Felicity standing a few feet behind him. He'd imagined her numerous times since the botched mission, most often wearing the outfit she'd worn during their first meeting or sometimes nothing at all, but a jeans and hoodie clad Felicity with her hair in a simple ponytail and her arm in a sling was a new vision his mind was sending him.

'Well, this is a new one,' Oliver grumbled, grabbing the empty glass with a sigh, 'Looks like I'm going to be needing more of this tonight.' Stumbling past the illusion, Oliver returned to the ballroom. Spotting the bar he quickly stalked over and ordered another drink.

'Sara?' Oliver blinked when he turned back to the room, the younger Lance standing behind him with a pissed off look on her face, 'When did you...'

'Are you freaking kidding me Ollie?' Sara grabbed the drink from him and gave it to Nyssa, who appeared at her side, 'My girlfriend and I searched all over goddamn Europe looking for your girl. We expected more of a reaction when we finally find her, rescue her and being her back to you than a quick hello and you traipsing over for more booze!'

'My love,' Nyssa smiled warmly, 'The human mind is a powerful thing, it can create visions and convince us of things that are false. When you first left me, i spent a month seeing your face staring back at me from every mirror and my dreams consisting of only you.'

Sara blushed at the intensity of Nyssa's words.

'Oliver Queen,' Nyssa turned to Oliver, 'Your mind is not deceiving you, we did...' Nyssa was surprised when Oliver walked away from her while she was talking, something that was punishable by death within the LoA.

'He'll thank us later Nyssa,' Sara grinned at her girlfriend, taking the drink back and downing it in a single gulp.

* * *

><p>'Oliver!' Joe Kutter appeared before him, the older man's wheelchair blocking his path to where Felicity stood with Diggle, staring at the photo's of his daughter that the man carried everywhere, 'That was a lovely thing you did tonight.'<p>

'Joe,' Oliver's desperation to get to Felicity was evident in his voice, 'Please, give me ten minutes and I'll...'

'Is everything okay Oliver?' Joe's cheery face disappeared behind concern.

'Everything's perfect,' Oliver's grin was blinding, 'Please tell me you have a litter in the store at the moment?'

'Just got a new lot in today,' Joe frowned as Oliver's grin widened and he walked away, Joe's face lit up when he saw where Oliver was headed, his mind starting to whirl.

* * *

><p>'...But then Sara...' Felicity's explanation to Diggle, Roy and Thea of how she'd been rescued was cut off when Oliver appeared before her, his hand hovering over her cheek.<p>

'Felicity...?' Oliver choked.

'Finally!' Diggle threw his hands in the air and laughed, pulling Thea and Roy away from the couple.

'Where are you hurt?' Oliver's voice was deep and thick with the same emotions that poured from his face.

'Broken wrist,' Felicity grumbled, 'That's all I have, well that and a bit of a bruised noggin... OLIVER!'

Ignoring her screech of his name, Oliver turned to the nearest open doorway and carried Felicity quickly out of the ballroom and into a long hallway.

'Oliver Jonas Queen!' Felicity growled, 'Put me down... NOW!' She let out a squeak when she was dropped to her feet, 'What the hell?'

'My thoughts exactly!' Oliver snapped, his mind numbing relief at her return turning fury at the actions that lead to her disappearing, 'What the hell did you think you were doing Felicity?'

'Stopping a terrorist group from being able to shut down a country's electronic networks!' Felicity replied simply, 'Aka, doing what we were supposed to have done in the simple in and out job! AKA the reason I had to sit there and listen to them torturing you and seeing the goddamn wounds they inflicted on you!'

'It was worth it.' Oliver's hand gently grasped Felicity's neck, his tumultuous emotions shifting gears again, 'There was no way I could allow them to take you out of that room, specially after that first trip. They told me exactly what they wanted to do to you Felicity, in explicit detail.'

'I know...' Felicity's face paled and she lifted her bandaged hand, 'One of the men tried to... Threw me to the floor and was about to... He was...' Felicity blew out a long breath before continuing, 'The leader of the group shot him in the head before he could get his pants open. Told the rest that they'd meet the same fate if they tried anything similar. Apparently armed terrorists that want to destroy cities draw the line at rape.'

'Shit...' Oliver's voice wobbled, his face etched with worry.

'I couldn't let you go through all of that and have them keep those goddamn weapons,' Felicity stubbornly stood her ground, 'I knew how to disarm them and I remembered the sewer tunnel that lead out of the facility. I just didn't expect the bad guys to be using it when I opened the freaking vent!'

'Felicity,' Oliver stared firmly, 'You cannot do something like that again, do you hear me?'

'No,' Felicity shook her head, her ponytail flopping about, 'I can't promise that Oliver. I heard every crack of that frakking whip, every single hit is burned into my ears. And to know they were doing it because you were protecting me... God Oliver!'

'I had to do something,' Felicity whimpered, 'I couldn't let you suffer like that for nothing.'

'It wasn't for nothing,' Oliver rumbled, his hand curling around her neck, 'I've had worse than a little whipping by some douchebags Felicity. I can take it.'

'It kept you safe and out of harm,' Oliver sighed, 'that was all I was thinking of each time I goaded them into taking me. Which is why when you ran off... God, Had it not been for my injuries, there's no way Dig would have kept me in that helicopter.'

'If you're expecting me to apologise,' Felicity's stubbornness emerged again, 'I won't. If they'd hit the wrong city, then millions would have been effected with countless deaths. My life, my choice. I'm just one person...'

'No!' Oliver snapped, pulling Felicity closer and pressing his forehead on hers, 'No... You're everything.'

'I need you Felicity,' Oliver's voice broke, 'doing all of this without you was worse than the entire time I was away. I need you beside me, i need you in my ear guiding me through it all. You keep me from losing myself in the darkness.'

'Please,' Felicity gasped quietly at the desperation in Oliver's voice, 'Please don't leave me to do this alone again.'

'Do what?' Felicity whispered, Oliver's thumb rubbing on her neck sending goosebumps across her body.

'Life,' Oliver choked out, 'The office, the lair, mornings, evenings, nights. I don't want to sit through another meeting without you beside me, I don't want to spend another day without you Felicity. Please don't make me.'

Felicity gulped, the intensity in Oliver's eyes causing her chest to clench, 'Okay...'

Had the situation been less intense, Felicity would have giggled at the sudden look of complete and utter shock melted into relief that poured out of Oliver's face at her words. The ragged breath he expelled was the only audible reaction, the hand on her hip snaking around to her back as he pulled her closer. The voice in the back of her head bemoaned her choice of lipstick, knowing that she'd have to clean Oliver's face before going back into the ballroom.

'I'll wear it proud Felicity,' Oliver's rumbled laugh told her she'd muttered the last part of her mental babble out loud again, 'Anywhere you want to put it, I'll wear it happily.'

Felicity groaned deeply, her mind assaulting her with various downright obscene ways her lipstick could get onto Oliver's body.

'Can I...' Oliver's voice nervously spoke, his lips hovering just over hers. In the moment before Felicity was able to make her body move to close the gap, a gruff voice coughed nearby.

'WHAT?' Felicity turned to the distraction and snapped loudly, gasping when she realised the distraction was Captain Lance, 'Quentin! Oh God, I'm so sorry...'

'You're picking up some bad habits from Queen it seems,' Lance's face held a relieved smirk, 'Where the hell have you been?'

'Um...' Felicity grimaced, feeling Oliver start to laugh into her shoulder, 'France, then... Austria I think.'

'What the hell for?' Oliver reluctantly peeled himself off Felicity as Lance moved closer, knowing that the two had developed a fast and strong surrogate father/daughter relationship since the end of Slade's assault on the city, 'What could have been so important for you to disappear like that?'

'Two EMP devices in the hands of a terrorist organisation that were planning on attacking Starling and Metropolis,' Felicity sighed as Lance wrapped his arms around her, 'The Arrow needed my technical knowledge. I knew we couldn't disarm the things like we did with Merlyn's earthquake devices, I had to be physically there to do it.'

'Why did you leave her there?' Oliver blinked when Lance turned a steely stare at him, 'I thought you were going to protect her.'

'He did,' Felicity grumbled, seemingly unaffected by Lance's admittance to knowing the secret of the Arrow, 'I already have one growly man in my life, I don't need you being one as well Quentin! The injuries Oliver has are because he goaded the bastards into focusing on him and not me.'

'And yet...' Lance brushed a loose lock of Felicity's hair behind her ear.

'As I've told Oliver already,' Felicity rolled her eyes, 'My life, my choice. I couldn't let him go through all of that without the objective being achieved, and it was. The devices are inoperable and I slipped a little tech onto them so we and A.R.G.U.S. can track them.'

'Next time...' Quentin huffed, knowing he would lose arguing with Felicity.

'There won't be a next time Lance,' Oliver growled, 'Over my dead body.'

'Thats a discussion for another day,' Felicity stared Oliver down, 'Tonight I just want to go play with the puppies I heard as I came in, and you're going to go give Sara a massive bear hug for bringing me home.'

'She's here?' Quentin's face lit up at the mention of his youngest daughter.

'Oliver had them search Europe for me,' Felicity nodded, 'Her and Nyssa. They brought me home.'

'I'm glad you're safe,' Quentin gave Felicity one last squeeze before he let her go, the blonde automatically moving back against Oliver, 'I promise you Oliver, if something like this happens again, beloved hero or not, i'm taking you down... Hard.'

'And I'll let you,' Oliver wrapped an arm around Felicity's waist. Quentin gave him one last glare before he turned and headed past where Diggle stood silently in the doorway, protecting both Oliver and Felicity.

'Where were we?' Oliver grinned and stroked a finger along Felicity's jaw.

'N-not yet Oliver,' Felicity's voice wobbled, 'if I start kissing you, I'm not going to be able to stop and I don't want our first time together to be against this gloriously beautiful wall with Diggle and all the guests next door being able to watch us.'

'I have more restraint than that Felicity!' Oliver looked shocked.

'I don't,' Felicity blushed deeply, Oliver's hearty laugh rumbling through her, 'I do want to go see the puppies I heard when we arrived.'

'Then let's do that,' Oliver gave Felicity a beaming smile before he let her lead him back into the ballroom.

* * *

><p>'I am so underdressed,' Felicity muttered as they homed in on the small pen of puppies the shelter had set up in the corner of the room.<p>

'You're tying with Thea's first smile at me for the most beautiful thing I've ever seen,' Oliver's voice was deep in her ear, the couple oblivious to the stares they were receiving, 'You make anything beautiful Felicity.'

'Flatterer,' Felicity giggled, a gasp leaving her when she saw the pen of dogs. Oliver could only laugh as she scurried away from him and dropped to her knees beside the pen, her voice cooing at a tiny husky puppy that had started yapping at her.

'You found her then?' Joe appeared at Oliver's side, the normally alert man jumping in surprise at not noticing his near silent arrival.

'We did,' Oliver gulped, 'We did.'

'I'm pleased for you man,' Joe clapped Oliver on the back, not noticing the flash of pain his warmly intended gesture sent through him, 'It's not been the same without her dropping in when I had a new litter and I can see on your face just how bad it's been for you.'

'It's been hell Joe,' Oliver glanced down at the man, 'I won't lie.'

'Then do yourself a favour and don't wait another minute,' Joe shrugged when Oliver sent him a surprised glance, 'what? It's meant to be a secret?'

'It's complicated,' Oliver sighed, 'But...'

'You young folk and your complicated shit,' Joe grumbled, 'Life's complicated. If you love her as much as it's clear she loves you then whatever's complicated is just going to melt away. Look at Carol and me with my loss of my legs, some couples would have been detonated by what happened to me, but Carol has stuck by me through everything. I get the sense from how Felicity talks about you that she's stood by you through some pretty awful shit and she's still here.'

'She has,' Oliver nodded.

'Then what the hell are you waiting for?' Joe barked out a laugh.

'She wanted to play with your puppies,' Oliver chuckled warmly, 'You know how she is.'

'That I do,' Joe grinned, 'You know that if you two ever wanted one, it would be free of charge.'

'We couldn't Joe,' Oliver shook his head as Felicity giggled at a pug that was climbing up her leg. The two men silently watched, Felicity turning to beam at Oliver, her face almost shining with pleasure.

'I see a lot of horror working with the shelter,' Joe gruffly spoke, 'Animals treated horrendously. There are days I just want to rage at the world for them, then she comes in and...'

'... you feel like everything's going to be alright,' Oliver finished, his eyes locked on Felicity, 'I know exactly what you mean.'

'Call it a thank you,' Joe shrugged, 'Or an early wedding present,' He held up a finger at Oliver's choked response, 'as sure as I know i'll never be able to run the Starling Marathon again, you two will end up married. So I'm just getting in there early.'

'One day maybe,' Oliver admitted quietly, 'Thank you Joe. You're a good man. Now I'm going to have to go extricate Felicity away from the cuteness, as she's called a puppy or few before.'

'Good luck,' Joe laughed.

* * *

><p>'Oliver!' Felicity's voice melted his resolve to pull her away from the ball of white that sat curled over her plastered hand, 'He's so cute! He's definitely a Maltese crossed with... Something. Can I keep him? Please Oliver? I can set up a little pen at home and one in the thingie,' Felicity gave a small smirk at her veiled mention of the lair, 'I'll clean up after him and train him and keep him happy.'<p>

'I...' Oliver would later refuse to admit it, but the moment the puppy turned to stare at him, he found himself powerless to resist Felicity's begged plea, 'A trial run. I'll talk to Joe and we'll see about having a trial run with the little guy in a few days after you've had some time to recover.'

'Are you being reasonable so you can get me home and have your wicked way with me Oliver Queen?' Felicity giggled, her free hand scratching the puppy's head. She leant down and cooed, 'I think he is, should I give in?'

Both Oliver and Felicity laughed when the puppy yapped.

'Let me talk to Joe again and get Diggle to go with you to the car,' Oliver noticed the signs of weariness starting to show on Felicity's face, 'you look like you're starting to tire out here.'

'Hmm,' Felicity nodded, leaning into Oliver's chest, 'Take me home Oliver.

* * *

><p>'I can carry her man,' Diggle watched Oliver carry a sleeping Felicity up the main staircase of the Mansion, the woman dozing off before Oliver could get to the car.<p>

'I need to do this Dig,' Oliver grunted, carefully carrying his softly snoring cargo down the hallway, 'After everything that's happened, I need to do this.'

'I'm here if you need me Oliver,' Diggle opened the bedroom door and watched Oliver wobble before he reached his bed, laying Felicity out over his expensive mattress.

'I know,' Oliver plucked Felicity's glasses from her face, placing them on the bedside table before staring to pull the simple trainers she'd been wearing off her feet. Pausing he turned and looked at Diggle, 'Thank you John.'

'What for?' Diggle frowned in confusion.

'Keeping me sane,' Oliver gruffly replied, 'This whole time I've been on a knifes edge from losing it completely and each time you were there to stop me going over.'

'Dude,' Diggle shrugged, 'I'm your black driver man, it's part of the job to keep you as sane as possible.'

'John...' Oliver chuckled, pulling Felicity's socks off.

'I mean it,' Diggle smiled, 'I'll let you two get some sleep.'

'Thank you,' Oliver watched Diggle close the door.

'Oliver?' Felicity's voice quietly left her lips, 'Love you.'

'Love you too Felicity,' Oliver leant over and kissed her forehead, Felicity seemingly asleep again within seconds. Quickly and quietly, Oliver readied the two of them for bed and laid himself beside her.

Almost instinctively, Felicity moved across the bed and curled up against him, her head resting against his chest, 'Thank you for finding me.'

'I'll always find you Felicity,' Oliver had to gulp down the rush of emotions at the vow, 'Now go to sleep.'

'Okay,' Felicity nuzzled against Oliver, falling asleep almost immediately. Oliver lay awake for ages, just breathing in the sensations of having Felicity against him before he too succumbed to slumber.


End file.
